Russell's early aspirations in the world of Hip Hop music took precedence over the trumpet that he began playing in fourth grade. When he reached sixteen, his dedication to the art of jazz took shape.

Rather than abandoning the music he loved, he simply applied its energy, spirit and fiercely proud intellectual rage to the jazz idiom, creating a synthesis that is truly contemporary and singular. Gunn's eclectic musical approach also brought him together with artists like Cee-Lo , Maxwell, D'Angelo, Ne-Yo, Branford Marsalis, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, while continuing to perform with his own groups and push the boundaries of how music is heard.  

With a singular style that incorporates the influences of masters like Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, and the underrated Booker Little, Gunn has continued to gain recognition for his own music through touring and well-received albums, including the 2000 Grammy-nominated Ethnomusicology, Vol. 1 and 2001 .and Ethnomusicology Vol. 2 in 2001.